The market seems to be full of options when it comes to CPU coolers. There are numerous manufacturers adding their own special touches to these devices, but lately many of the designs seem to follow a common theme... implementing heatpipes in a tower configuration.
The item sent over for this review is from a new sponsor, but upon an initial visual inspection one might think it was provided by someone like Thermalright, Noctua, or Scythe. The manufacturer is named
ThermoLab, and they have sent the cooler shown below... the Baram.
ThermoLab is a Korean company that has been in business for a few years, and presently has three heatpipe based CPU coolers on the market. Most enthusiasts probably think of Zalman when considering high end CPU coolers that happen to be from Korea, and I imagine that ThermoLab is hoping for units like the Baram to change that.
Before looking at the sample provided for review, let's take a look at some published data regarding the Baram CPU cooler as taken from the
official product page on the ThermoLab website. Please visit that link for up-to-date details, as well as for a complete list of compatible processors.
Product Description:
"BARAM [baram] has a meaning of 'airflow' in Korean, and is the product for a cooling mania who is expecting to have a supreme cooling performance. BARAM is a heat pipe cooler used for CPU, designed in an optimal aerothermodynamic structure."
Features:
» With the efficient heat pipe arrangement, maximized the thermal distribution effects.
» Optimum fin structure to minimize air resistance intake.
» Optimized fin pitch for axial fan.
» The air tunnel formed inside the stack-heatsink fins accelerates the airflow.
Specifications:
» Product Name: BARAM
» Socket Standards: Intel Socket 775, AMD Socket AM2+/AM2
» Thermal Design Power of CPU: Max 250 Watt
» Dimension: 67 × 132 × 160 (L x W x H)mm
» Weight: 625g
» Heatsink Material: Pure Copper, Aluminum
» Dissipation Area: 7,580 cm²
What you will not see is information regarding a cooling fan. Following in the foot steps of companies like Thermalright, ThermoLab has decided to let you source a 120mm fan (or two) of your own for use with the Baram. This can be seen as a good thing since it lets you pick a fan with the performance profile and aesthetics that best suit your needs, but it also means you will incur more cost in getting your cooler up and running.
